Shoe binding and the like



Jan. 6, 1942. v .E. B. LUITWIELER 2,269,214

SHOE BINDING AND THE LIKE Filed July 29, 1939.

Patented Jan. 6, 1942 I mUNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE snon nmnmoann THE mm Edward B. Luitwlcler, Maiden, Mass. Application July 29, 1939, Serial No. 287,343

' 9 Claims.

I My invention relates to bindings and staysxfor shoes and the like, to shoes having bindings; and stays, and to methods of. making the bindings and stays. i

The invention, which has among its objects an improvement in the type of bindings and stays described in applicant's United States Patent 1,923,988, issuedAugust 22, 1933, will be best understood from the accompanying drawings and following descriptionsof a shoe having'a binding and stay, and of; several examples of the bindings and methods of making them, the scope of the invention being more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 illustrates one-form of binding according to the invention and the process of making it; I

Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate successive steps of finishing the shoe opening with the French binding aocordingto Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 schematicaly illustrates a fragment of a section of the binding on an enlarged scale.

The textile material of which French bindings and stays are formed may assume various forms. That illustrated in Fig. 1 comprises aribbon having at opposite sides thereof selvaged edges I, which ribbon may be sp it to form two. lengths of French binding 3. As shown, the edge pore tions 5 of the ribbon are formed of silk commonly of the weave known as grosgrain, the central portion] being of cotton. As in the finished shoe, only the edge portions 5 of the ribbon .are exposed when the binding is applied to the shoe, the construction described effects a material saving over aribbon which istsilk for its entire width. Preferably the ribbon' 'is split along a serrated line'9 to increase the effective width of the'binding and to render it capable of being bent laterally without wrinkling. If desired, however, it may be split along a straight line, or may be split along a straight line and transversely slit for rendering it capable of being bent laterally without wrinkling. As will be understood in the art, the French binding strip 3 is attached by a row of stitches II to the marginal portion of the upper leather l3, the edge l5 of which in the finished shoe forms the edge of the shoe opening. When so attached the side of the strip which is coated with cement is placed outermost. The strip is then bent around the edge of the upper leather into the position shown by Fig. 3 by hand, or by use of a folding machine as, for example, the folding machine described in Leroy Q. Presby United States Patent 2,163,059, issued June 20, 1939. At some time prior to completion of the folding operation the cement is slightly moistened with liquid softening agent to make it tacky and at the completion of the folding operation is pressed to the upper leather so as adhesively to secure the folded portions thereto.

, According to one manner of practising the invention, the side of the ribbon to which the cement is to be applied is first treated to render that side impervious, and, if a water sensitive cement is employed, preferably to waterproof it. This imperviousness preferably is such astopre vent passage of air if it is desired to prevent the cement from entirely drying out, and in any event preferably is such as will prevent the adhesive coating when softened from working through the material of the strip to its exposed side or from unduly sizing that material when applied thereto. This may be done by applying to the surface of the strip, say by use of the apparatus described in applicants United States Patent 1,923,989, 'issued August 22, 1933, a substance of requisite viscosity and quick drying properties to seal the interstices among the warp and weft threads and the fibers thereof at that side of the ribbon without penetrating the ribbon to its opposite side. This material is schematically indicated at H in Fig. 4.

As a suitable material for this purpose, particularly when thereis employed the glue base adhes ve hereinafter described, 10 ounces by weight of cellulose acetate may be dissolved in one gallon of solvent consisting of by volume methyl alcohol and aectone. To control the penetrating properties of the solution a small amount of amyl acetate may be added, the amount depending upon the character of the textile. For the ordinary cotton and silk grosgrain employed for French bindings the use of about 8 fluid ounces of amyl acetate in the above mixture will cause the textile to be penetrated for about ,4; its thickness. For maintaining the flaccidity of the strip the solution preferably contains a plasticizer such as triacetin, say 4 fluid ounces in the above mixture. The mixture described has a consistency like that of rather heavy cream, and is quick drying.

As substitutes for celulose acetate other cellulose-base materials may be employed as, for example, nitrocellulose, scrap Celluloid, and the like. Other plasticizers may be substituted as, for example, castor oil, di-ethyl-phthalate, and the like. Other of the common cellulose-base solvents may be employed such as ethyl or butyl acetate, ethyl alcohol-ether mixture, ethyl or methyl ketones, and the like, care being taken -to see that the particular solvent or solvent mixture employed imparts th requisite consistency and rapidity of drying to control the penetrating properties of the solution to secure sealing of the interstices of the textile without -unduly penetrating it.

The cellulose-base material above described is preferably employed with a water sensitive adhesive because it is wate roof, has but slight effect on the color of e textile strip, and gives good adherence to the strip, particularly a textile strip. Other substances however may be employed with a water sensitive adhesive with more or less satisfactory results as, for example, water solutions of acacia gum, Irish moss, and gum-tragacanth. Enough water should be added to these to make a solution having the consistency of rather heavy cream. These latter substances, although perhaps from an exact physical classification not waterproof, in practice are to a large extent waterproof when dry, and may be employed for some uses of the binding, particularly leather binding.

After the coating above described has been applied and dried completely, or until its tackiness disappears sufliciently to permit it to be readily handled, the strip may be operated upon to apply the cementitious coating I 9. For this purpose the apparatus described in applicants above mentioned Patent 1,923,989 may also be employed. This coating, if a water sensitive coating is desired, preferably has an animal glue base such as oscine glue, which may be applied cold and when dry is very sensitive to water for rendering it tacky. Preferably the glue mixture contains a plasticizer for rendering it flaccid when dry, and a substance which will slightly out the base coating for causing adherence of the cement thereto, it being understood that glue, paste and the like as commonly compounded do not adhere to materials lacquered with a cellulose-base.

As a suitable example of the water sensitive cement about 140 ounces by weight of dry flake glue may be soaked in about 50 fluid ounces of water for several hours and then raised to about 135 F. until it is liquid. About 70 fluid ounces of acetone may then be mixed into the glue, and about 50 fluid ounces of glycerin. The acetone causes it slightly to cut the cellulose-base material, and the glycerin renders the glue flaccid, when dry, the glycerin having the further effect of lubricating the needle when the binding is sewed in place, thus preventing the needle from being gummed up by the glue. The cement so compounded is quick drying, and when dry is non-plastic but will become tacky upon treatment with a small amount of water. When so rendered tacky it again dries quickly. Further, that material, like the cellulose-base coating, is heat refractory in the sense. that it will not become plastic or fluid and sweat through the binding when exposed to the temperatures to which shoes may be subjected under adverse conditions, say those occasioned by exposure to summer sun or letting the shoe stand near a hot radiator. Other cellulose-base solvents above mentioned may be substituted for acetone, and any of the above mentioned plasticizers for glycerin.

As above mentioned, after the glue is applied and it has hardened sufllciently the ribbon vinegar will improve the action of the waters on the cement.

The water sensitive cement above described will become tacky in about M to 1% second when moistened with water. When a more rapidly acting adhesive is desired in respect to its becoming tacky when moistened with a liquid substance, say for use of the binding in a very high speed folding machine of the type described in the patent hereinbefore referred to, there is pref erably employed for the adhesive a material is split. It is then wound into rolls, and being which will now be described.

This adhesive substance has as its base a material which is a high molecular weight polymerization product of an iso-oleflne. The material, which has about the consistency of normal masticated rubber and is slightly sticky, may be made by mixing 0.5 part boron fluoride into parts liquid iso-butylene cooled to about 60 to 70 minus C. by throwing solid carbon dioxide into it before adding the boron fluoride, and maintaining the mixture at that temperature during the reaction period by cooling it with a bath of liquid carbon dioxide. As substitutes for boron fluoride there may be employed other volatilizable inorganic halides such as phosphorous trifluoride, phosphorous pentafluoride, aluminum chloride, and the like. All of these halides may be used alone or as phenol or cresol solutions. The strong cooling diminishes the rate of the reaction and results in the formation of a polymerized iso-oleflne of high molecular weight having the properties of the character above mentioned.

To form the adhesive coating the high molecular weight polymerized iso-olefine may be dissolved in a solvent such as trichlorethylene or perchlorethylene, and into the solution may then be dissolved refined natural resin to harden the product and make it non-tacky when it dries, the resulting solution consisting of about 40% each of polymerization product and solvent, with the balance refined resin. The solution may then be applied to the preliminarily treated binding in the same way as mentioned above in connection with the glue base adhesive. If desired, about 20% drier, such as benzol or acetone, may be mixed into the solution to increase the rapidity with which it will set. The final coating consists of the mixture or solution of polymerization product and refined resin, the liquid constituents having evaporated. The coating when dry is non-plastic, non-tacky, flaccid and waterproof, and does not soften when exposed to moderate heat. It instantly becomes strongly tacky when a film of suitable solvent, such as trichlorethylene or the other solvents, with or without the drier, mentioned above, is applied to it, say by use of the folding machine above referred to.

When employing this cementitious substance there is preferably used, in place of the preliminary cellulose-base coating, a rubber-base coating, because the liquid solvent contained in solution will not cut the former but will slightly cut the latter. The rubber, however, is but slow ly soluble in trichlorethyle'ne "or perchloreth'ylene 'even when they contain driers such as benzol its interstices. but without unduly penetrating it, as a naphtha or gasoline solution of rubber of the consistency of heavy cream, or as a latex or rubber dispersion of similar consistency, by use of the adhesive applying apparatus above referred to. After the rubber coating has dried sufficiently to cause enough of its tackiness to disappear to enable it to be readily handled the cementitious coating may be applied to it. The rubber layer is flaccid, waterproof and heat refractory in the same sense as the glue, cellulose and polymerized iso-olefine base materials hereinbefore described.

It is possible to omit the preliminary rubber coating when employing the cementitious substance containing the polymerized iso-olefine as the latter when compounded as above described, particularly when a drier is employed, will not unduly penetrate the textile when precaution is taken not to apply too much solution of it to the textile or too much solvent to it for softening it. However, by using the rubber assurance is had that, among other things, the softened cementitious material will not be forced through the binding when hammered or pressed during the folding operation, and, similarly, the cellulose-base coating serves, among other things, the same purpose when a glue base coating is employed.

Herein, and in the appended claims, by "nontacky material, or words of like import, are included materials which, although somewhat sticky, are not sufiiciently so to adhere effectively to leather or a textile when applied thereto by pressure or hammering without first softening them with a solvent markedly to increase their stickiness. For example, binding having the exposed iso-olefine base material compounded as above described is detectibly sticky but not sufiiciently so to prevent it from being freely unwound when wound into rolls or to mar the textile with which the adhesive on an adjacent turn of the roll contacts, nor will it, without being first softened, effectively adhere to textile or leather even when the binding is strongly pressed against them.

It will be understood that within the scope of the invention wide deviations may be made from i the forms thereof described without departing from the spirit of the invention.

This application is a continuation-in-part of applicants allowed copending application, Serial No. 115,661, filed December 14, 1936.

I claim:

1. The method of making shoe bindings and the like which comprises applying to one side of an absorbent textile strip a liquid waterproofing material sufficient in amount, viscosity and quick drying properties to seal the interstices among the threads and the fibers thereof without penetrating said strip to the opposite side thereof, drying said strip, and then coating the same side with liquid cement containing a substance which will slightly out said dried material and which when itself dry is non-tacky and capable of being rendered tacky by treatment with a liquid solvent "in which the dry first mentioned material is substantially insoluble.

2. The method of making shoe bindings and the like which comprises applying to one side of an absorbent textile strip a liquid cellulose-base waterproofing material sufficient in amount, viscosity and quick drying properties to seal the interstices among the threads and the flbers thereof without penetrating said strip to the opposite side thereof, drying said strip, and then coating the same side with liquid cement containing a substanc which will slightly out said dried material and which when itself dry is nontacky and capable of being rendered tacky by treatment with water.

3. The method of making shoe bindings and the like which comprises applying to one side of an absorbent textile strip a liquid waterproofing material sufiicient in amount, viscosity and quick drying properties to seal the interstices among the threads and the fibers thereof without penetrating said strip to the opposite side thereof, drying said strip, and then coating the same side with liquid cement containing a substance which will slightly out said dried material and which when itself dry is non-tacky and capable of being rendered tacky by treatment with a liquid solvent in which the dry first mentioned material is substantially insoluble, said textile strip and, when dry, said liquid material and cement, being flaccid, whereby to produce a flaccid bindmg.

4. Shoe bindings and the like comprising a flaccid absorbent textile strip one side of which is untreated to cause the normal appearance of the textile to be presented and the other side of which has an exposed layer of superficially nontacky non-plastic flaccid cement,-and an inner flaccid coating of non-plastic material which is heat refractory in respect to becoming plastic or fluid when exposed to heat, which coating is in direct adhering relation to said textile and cement layer and seals the interstices among the threads of said textile without penetrating it to the opposite side thereof for preventing sweating of said cement layer through the textile to said opposite side thereof, said cement layer being capable of being rendered strongly superficially tacky by treatment with a liquid solvent in which said inner coating is substantially insoluble.

5. Shoe bindings and the like, according to claim 4, in which the adhering cement layer is a water sensitive glue base material, and the inner coating is a cellulose base material insoluble in water.

6. Shoe bindings and the like, according to claim 4, in which the adhering cement layer is a substance characterized by a high content of high molecular weight polymerization product of an iso-olefine, and the inner coating is rubber.

7. Shoe bindings and the like, according to claim 4, in which the adhering cement layer is a substance characterized by a high content of high molecular weight polymerization product of an iso-olefine capable of being rendered substantially immediately strongly tacky by application. thereto of a liquid solvent such as trichlororiginal surface thereof, said binding being adhesively secured to the edge of the shoe uppers with a non-plastic water soluble cement, and a layer of flaccid non-plastic waterproof material which is heat refractory in respect to becoming plastic or fluid when exposed to heat interposed between the cement and the exposed exterior surface of the binding and sealing the interstices among the threads of said binding for preventing sweating of the cement through the binding.

9. A shoe the margin of the uppers of which at the shoe opening is bound with French binding of absorbent textile material, the exposed exterior of the latter being untreated so as to present th original surface thereof, said binding being adhesively secured to the edge of the shoe uppers with a flaccid non-plastic water soluble cement, and a layer of flaccid non-plastic waterproof cellulose-base material which is heat refractory in respect to becoming plastic or fluid when exposed to heat interposed between the cement and the exposed exterior surface of the binding in direct adherent relation thereto and sealing the interstices among the threads of said binding for preventing sweating ofthe cement through the binding.

EDWARD B. LUITWIELER. 

